Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A dynamic spectrum arbitrage method, comprising: establishing a communication link between a communications server and a first dynamic spectrum controller (DSC) in a first communication network; determining in the communications server an amount of radio frequency (RF) spectrum resources available for allocation within the first communication network based on information received via the communication link; allocating a portion of available RF spectrum resources of the first communication network for access and use by a second communication network; sending a first communication message to the second communication network, the first communication message including information suitable for informing the second communication network that use of allocated RF spectrum resources may begin, wherein a mobile device in the second communication network is handed off to an eNodeB of the first communication network in order to use the allocated RF spectrum resources; recording a transaction in a transaction database identifying an amount of RF spectrum resources allocated for use by the second communication network; receiving in the communications server a quality of service (QoS) degrade request from the first DSC in response to the eNodeB attempting to locally restrict or degrade the QoS for the mobile device connected to the eNodeB based on detecting network congestion in the eNodeB of the first communication network, wherein the QoS degrade request includes information collected in the eNodeB of the first communication network and identifies the mobile device using the allocated RF spectrum resources of the first communication network and anchored to a packet gateway in the second communication network; and sending the QoS degrade request received from the first DSC in the first communication network to a second DSC in the second communication network that communicates the QoS degrade request to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) component in the second communication network, wherein the PCRF determines a course of action needed to recover additional RF spectrum resources.
A method for dynamically allocating radio spectrum between two networks. A communication server establishes a link with a controller (DSC) in the first network. The server determines available spectrum in the first network and allocates some to the second network. The server sends a message to the second network indicating spectrum is available, allowing a mobile device from the second network to connect to a base station (eNodeB) in the first network. This transaction is recorded. If the eNodeB experiences congestion, it sends a quality of service (QoS) degrade request, identifying the mobile device, back to the server. The server relays this request to a DSC in the second network, which then communicates the request to a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to determine how to recover additional spectrum resources.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining based on the QoS degrade request that no additional RF spectrum resources are to be allocated from the first communication network.
The dynamic spectrum allocation method described in claim 1 further involves the communication server determining, based on the quality of service (QoS) degrade request received, that no additional radio frequency spectrum resources should be allocated from the first communication network to address the congestion issue. This decision indicates that the first network has no further spectrum to spare or that other factors prevent further allocation, influencing the subsequent actions taken by the Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) in the second network.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining in the communications server whether at least some of the allocated RF spectrum resources are required by the first communication network based on information included in the QoS degrade request; sending a second communication message to the second communication network in response to determining that at least some of the allocated RF spectrum resources are required by the first communication network, the second communication message including information suitable for informing the second communication network that use of the allocated RF spectrum resources should be terminated; and updating the transaction database to include information identifying a time when use of the allocated RF spectrum resources was terminated by the second communication network.
In the dynamic spectrum allocation method described in claim 1, the communication server checks if the first network needs some of the allocated spectrum back, based on the quality of service (QoS) degrade request. If spectrum is needed, a message is sent to the second network to terminate use of the allocated spectrum. The transaction database is updated with the termination time. This allows the first network to reclaim resources when its own needs increase, ensuring its primary network operation is prioritized over spectrum sharing agreements.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the QoS degrade request received from the first DSC in the first communication network to the second DSC in the second communication network further comprises the second DSC sending the QoS degrade request to an application function (AF) component in the second communication network.
In the dynamic spectrum allocation method described in claim 1 where the QoS degrade request is sent from the first network to the second, the second network's DSC forwards this QoS degrade request to an Application Function (AF) component within its network. This AF component can then use the information about the degraded service quality to perform additional actions, such as adjusting application-level resource allocation or triggering notifications related to the service degradation experienced by the mobile device using the borrowed spectrum.
5. A communication server for accomplishing dynamic spectrum arbitrage of available radio frequency (RF) spectrum resources between a first communication network and a second communication network, the communication server comprising: network communications circuitry for communicating with the first and second communication networks; a memory; and a processor coupled to the memory and the network communications circuitry, wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising: establishing a communication link between the communications server and a first dynamic spectrum controller (DSC) in the first communication network; determining an amount of radio frequency (RF) spectrum resources available for allocation within the first communication network based on information received via the communication link; allocating a portion of available RF spectrum resources of the first communication network for access and use by the second communication network; sending a first communication message to the second communication network, the first communication message including information suitable for informing the second communication network that use of allocated RF spectrum resources may begin, wherein a mobile device in the second communication network is handed off to an eNodeB of the first communication network in order to use the allocated RF spectrum resources; recording a transaction in a transaction database identifying an amount of RF spectrum resources allocated for use by the second communication network; receiving a quality of service (QoS) degrade request from the first DSC in response to the eNodeB attempting to locally restrict or degrade the QoS for the mobile device connected to the eNodeB based on detecting network congestion in the eNodeB of the first communication network, wherein the QoS degrade request includes information collected in the eNodeB of the first communication network and identifies the mobile device using the allocated RF spectrum resources of the first communication network and anchored to a packet gateway on the second communication network; and sending the QoS degrade request received from the first DSC in the first communication network to a second DSC in the second communication network that communicates the QoS degrade request to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) component in the second communication network, wherein the PCRF determines a course of action needed to recover additional RF spectrum resources.
A communication server dynamically allocates radio spectrum between two networks. It includes communication circuitry, memory, and a processor. The processor establishes a link with a controller (DSC) in the first network, determines available spectrum in the first network and allocates some to the second network. The server informs the second network about available spectrum, enabling a mobile device from the second network to connect to a base station (eNodeB) in the first network. This transaction is recorded. Upon receiving a quality of service (QoS) degrade request due to eNodeB congestion, which identifies the mobile device, the server sends this request to a DSC in the second network. The second DSC sends the request to a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to determine how to recover additional spectrum.
6. The communication server of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising: determining based on the QoS degrade request that no more RF spectrum resources should be allocated from the first communication network.
The communication server described in claim 5 is further configured to determine, based on the quality of service (QoS) degrade request, that no additional radio frequency spectrum resources should be allocated from the first communication network. This decision prevents further exacerbation of congestion issues or indicates a limit on available resources for allocation.
7. The communication server of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations further comprising: determining whether at least some of the allocated RF spectrum resources are required by the first communication network based on information included in the QoS degrade request; sending a second communication message to the second communication network in response to determining that at least some of the allocated RF spectrum resources are required by the first communication network, the second communication message including information suitable for informing the second communication network that use of the allocated RF spectrum resources should be terminated; and updating the transaction database to include information identifying a time when use of the allocated RF spectrum resources was terminated by the second communication network.
The communication server described in claim 5 is also configured to determine whether the first network needs some of the allocated spectrum back, based on the quality of service (QoS) degrade request. If spectrum is required, a message is sent to the second network to terminate the spectrum usage. The transaction database is updated to record the termination time. This enables the first network to reclaim shared spectrum when its own needs increase, allowing prioritization of primary network operation.
8. The communication server of claim 5 , wherein the processor is configured with processor-executable instructions such that sending the QoS degrade received from the first DSC in the first communication network to the second DSC in the second communication network further comprises the second DSC sending the QoS degrade request to an application function (AF) component in the second communication network.
The communication server described in claim 5, when sending the quality of service (QoS) degrade request to the second network, has the second network's DSC further forward the request to an Application Function (AF) component. The AF component can then take actions based on the service degradation information, such as adjusting application-level resources or triggering alerts, enhancing control over the spectrum sharing arrangement.
9. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored thereon processor-executable software instructions configured to cause a processor in a communications server to perform dynamic spectrum arbitrage (DSA) operations comprising: establishing a communication link between a communications server and a first dynamic spectrum controller (DSC) in a first communication network; determining an amount of radio frequency (RF) spectrum resources available for allocation within the first communication network based on information received via the communication link; allocating a portion of available RF spectrum resources of the first communication network for access and use by a second communication network; sending a fist communication message to the second communication network, the first communication message including information suitable for informing the second communication network that use of allocated RF spectrum resources may begin, wherein a mobile device in the second communication network is handed off to an eNodeB of the first communication network in order to use the allocated RF spectrum resources; recording a transaction in a transaction database identifying an amount of RF spectrum resources allocated for use by the second communication network; receiving a quality of service (QoS) degrade request from the first DSC in response to the eNodeB attempting to locally restrict or degrade the QoS for the mobile device connected to the eNodeB based on detecting network congestion in the eNodeB of the first communication network, wherein the QoS degrade request includes information collected in the eNodeB of the first communication network and identifies the mobile device using the allocated RF spectrum resources of the first communication network and anchored to a packet gateway on the second communication network; and sending the QoS degrade request received from the first DSC in the first communication network to a second DSC in the second communication network that communicates the QoS degrade request to a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) component in the second communication network, wherein the PCRF determines a course of action needed to recover additional RF spectrum resources.
A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores instructions for a communications server to perform dynamic spectrum arbitrage (DSA) between two networks. The instructions cause the server to establish a link with a controller (DSC) in the first network, determine available spectrum, and allocate some to the second network. A message is sent to the second network to indicate spectrum availability, allowing a mobile device to connect to a base station (eNodeB) in the first network. This transaction is recorded. When the eNodeB experiences congestion, a quality of service (QoS) degrade request identifying the mobile device is received and forwarded to a DSC in the second network, which sends the request to a Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF) to determine how to recover spectrum.
10. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations further comprising: determining based on the QoS degrade request that no more spectrum resources should be allocated from the first communication network.
The non-transitory computer readable storage medium described in claim 9 further includes instructions that cause the communications server to determine, based on the quality of service (QoS) degrade request, that no more spectrum resources should be allocated from the first communication network to the second network. This decision prevents further congestion problems.
11. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations further comprising: determining whether at least some of the allocated RF spectrum resources are required by the first communication network based on information included in the QoS degrade request; sending a second communication message to the second communication network in response to determining that at least some of the allocated RF spectrum resources are required by the first communication network, the second communication message including information suitable for informing the second communication network that use of the allocated RF spectrum resources should be terminated; and updating the transaction database to include information identifying a time when use of the allocated RF spectrum resources was terminated by the second communication network.
The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 also includes instructions that cause the communications server to determine whether the first network needs some of the allocated spectrum back, based on the quality of service (QoS) degrade request. If needed, a message is sent to the second network to terminate spectrum usage, and the transaction database is updated with the termination time, allowing the first network to reclaim shared resources.
12. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 9 , wherein the stored processor-executable software instructions are configured to cause a processor to perform operations such that sending the QoS degrade request received from the first DSC in the first communication network to the second DSC in the second communication network further comprises the second DSC sending the QoS degrade request to an application function (AF) component in the second communication network.
This invention relates to quality of service (QoS) management in communication networks, specifically addressing the need to propagate QoS degradation requests between different communication networks. The system involves a first communication network with a first Diameter signaling controller (DSC) and a second communication network with a second DSC. When the first DSC receives a QoS degrade request, it forwards this request to the second DSC in the second network. The second DSC then sends the QoS degrade request to an application function (AF) component within the second network. The AF component processes the request to adjust QoS parameters accordingly. This mechanism ensures that QoS degradation requests are properly relayed and acted upon across network boundaries, maintaining consistent service quality for end-users. The system leverages Diameter signaling protocols to facilitate inter-network communication, ensuring seamless QoS management in heterogeneous network environments. The invention improves network efficiency by dynamically adjusting QoS based on real-time conditions, reducing unnecessary resource consumption while maintaining service reliability.
Unknown
September 16, 2014
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.